


If I Could Tell Her (Marichat One Shot)

by bbodes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged Up, F/M, Identity Reveal, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 15:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17942189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbodes/pseuds/bbodes
Summary: A small Marichat one-shot inspired by the song 'If I Could Tell Her' from the musical: Dear Evan Hansen.It's the middle of the night and Marinette finds herself comforting Chat Noir about having to leave behind everything he loves. It is only while expressing this to her that Adrien realises the thing he will miss most of all: Marinette. Luckily, he is able to hide behind his suave alter-ego, but will that be enough to suppress his feelings for the girl?





	If I Could Tell Her (Marichat One Shot)

Marinette needs to sleep.  
She knows this, but it's slightly difficult to get into bed when a human kitty cat is standing in front of you, two inches from your face.  
"What is it, Chat?" asks Marinette, smiling as she pushes him aside, reaching to collect her sketchbook–all doodles of Adrien tonight, since she can't seem to get him out of her head after what happened today. And her blanket, too. (Sitting outside on the rooftop can get quite chilly at night, after all.)  
"Just came to say bonjour to my princess."  
Marinette chuckles, "Of course you did."  
Chat, being the gentleman that he is, tucks away Marinette's deck chair and helps her down the trap door; Chat has visited Marinette that often over the past three years, it's second nature.  
"What time is it, anyway?" It must be past midnight, thinks Marinette, I feel like I've been drawing for hours.  
Checking his baton, Chat replies, "1.06 AM."  
"One in the morning?" says Marinette, shocked, "Then what on Earth are you doing here?"  
"I, uh," Chat awkwardly runs his fingers through his long, golden hair–unchanged since Marinette first met him, "just wanted to see you, is all."  
"At 1 AM?"  
"At 1 AM."  
"Silly kitty."

Following Marinette down the ladder, Chat then shadows the girl as she puts away her things and grabs a pillow.  
Together, they sit cross-legged on the wooden floor.  
"Tell me what's up."  
"What's up?"  
"I know you, Chat. You always come and see me in the night when you've had a rough day." –Chat fidgets slightly– "So, tell me, what's bothering you? You know I'm always here to talk to; always have been, always will be."  
"I know, but," not wishing to have to say this, he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, "that's just the thing."  
"Huh?"  
"I didn't know how to tell you this when I left, and I still certainly don't know now." His eyes scan the room, looking anywhere but Marinette. He sighs, "I guess I'll get right to it."  
Curious, Marinette leans in. Chat realises and stares at his hands, locked together in his lap.  
"There can't be an 'always will' anymore; I... I have to leave."  
"You what?" shouts Marinette, much louder than she intended to. "What about Paris? What about Ladybug? Why didn't–" she stops herself, "have you told her?"  
"I couldn't."   
Marinette can't reply. She's both too shocked and too confused to get any words past her gaping mouth.  
"I only found out yesterday. I wish I could've spoken to her... it's been killing me. I've left her messages but she hasn't replied."  
With no recent akuma attacks, Marinette hasn't had a reason too suit up and check her yoyo.  
"Why do you have to go?" asks Marinette, still struggling to take this in. Not only is she concerned for Chat, but she also has the whole of Paris to worry for, as well.  
How do I tell Master Fu? How do I tell Paris?  
"I'm eighteen now. School's nearly over and I'm going to study abroad for university." Chat's voice begins to waver, "I had no choice, Marinette. I never do." Frustrated, he stands and kicks at the air. "I had to suddenly say good-bye to my friends, I couldn't say good-bye to Ladybug, and I have to say good-bye to you. I don't want to, Marinette. I don't want to lose my friends. I don't want to lose Ladybug. And I desperately don't want to lose you." Chat turns his back to Marinette, his shoulders uptight and stiffened, his hands clenched at his sides. "I can't."  
Without uttering a word, Marinette stands and envelops Chat from behind. She doesn't know what to say. A tear rolls slowly down her cheek.  
Chat relaxes at her touch.  
They stand like that for a while, unable to speak.  
Marinette's devastated. Not my Chaton, too.  
Chat's just trying to savour his last moments with his dear Princess.

Looking up, the cat notices magazine clippings of himself–well, of Adrien–on Marinette's pinboard. He smiles nostalgically.  
"Still have a thing for Adrien Agreste?" he teases.  
Blushing, Marinette's eyes dart open as she pushes Chat away from her.  
He laughs, having already expected that response.  
Turning around to face Marinette, he finds her sitting on her chaise lounge, head turned away, lips pouted, arms clutching her pillow.  
"No, Chat I do not 'have a thing' for Adrien. I have those for inspiration–for fashion design, obviously. You know that's what I want to pursue," Marinette retorts.  
Though her obsession with the model may have faded, remnants of her crush linger, even after all these years.  
For some reason, Chat can't help but feel slightly disappointed. He hops over, sliding down next to Marinette.  
"You do like him though, don't you?" checks Chat, "As a friend."  
Marinette faces him.  
"Of course I do! He's one of my best friends..." –a smile tugs at the ends of Chat's lips– "It's just..."  
"Just what?"  
"I wish I could've told him how much he means to me." She smiles solemnly. "His father's sending him away to London. All I could do was stand stiff as he hugged me. I didn't know how to react." Marinette pulls at a loose thread on her sofa. "He probably thinks I'm so weird and awkward; I've always been that way around him."  
"Nah," says Chat, "he thinks you're awesome."  
"He thinks I'm awesome?" repeats Marinette, "Adrien?"  
"Definitely!"  
"And how would you know that?"  
"Oh, er," Chat scatches at the back of his neck, thinking, "I know him in real life."  
Marinette eyebrows him, unconvinced, "Seriously?"  
"Seriously! We model together, you see."  
"Riiight."  
"What! You don't believe I have the looks to be a model?" Chat gasps dramatically, one hand clutching at his heart, the other delicately raised to his forehead.  
Marinette stifles a laugh.  
"Oh, I'm sure you're a very beautiful kitty cat in real life. I just can't believe that someone as serious as Gabriel Agreste would allow someone as ridiculous and over-the-top as you to model for his label–especially with Adrien."  
Chat playfully punches Marinette, who allows herself a chuckle or two.  
"Seriously, though," reiterates Chat, "Adrien does think very highly of you."  
Thoughts racing, Marinette replies, "what did he say about me?"  
Grinning, Chat answers.  
"Well, he said 'there's nothing like your smile. It's sort of subtle, and perfect, and real.'"  
Marinette quickly turns away, holding her burning cheeks in her hands, only encouraging the cat more.  
"He said 'you never knew how wonderful that smile could make someone feel.'" Chat's voice begins to soften into a hymn as he continues. "And he knew, whenever you get bored, you scribble stars on the cuffs of your jeans. And he noticed that you still fill out the quizzes that they put in those Agreste magazines."  
He nods towards the clippings. Needless to say, Marinette flushes even more and throws her pillow at him. (He could easily deflect it, but Chat allows the pillow to hit him right in the head.)  
"But he kept it all inside his head; what he saw he left unsaid. And, though he wanted to..." the cat pauses, his brows furrowed in thought, "he couldn't talk to you. He couldn't find the way, but he would always say:  
'If I could tell her, tell her everything I see. If I could tell her, how she's everything to me. But we're a million worlds apart, and I don't know how I would even start... If I could tell her.'"  
Eager to know more, Mari leans closer to Chat.  
"Did he say anything else?"  
"About you?"  
"Oh, n-no! Never mind! I don't really care anyways–"  
"No-no-no, he did! He said so many things! I'm, just, uh, just trying to remember the best ones, so... erm..."  
Chat stands, walking circles around the room.  
"He thought... you looked really pretty, er." –both Chat and Marinette immediately turn red and look away– "It looked pretty cool when you put red ribbons in your hair."  
"He did?"  
The cat smiles reminiscently, nodding his head.  
"And he wondered how you learned to dance like all the rest of the world isn't there."  
He offers a hand to Marinette, who cheerfully accepts, and pulls her up.  
"But he kept it all inside his head; what he saw he left unsaid."  
Chat takes hold of Marinette's wrists. Their arms outstretched, they begin to spin around the room. Marinette's head is tilted back as her joyful laughter fills the room.  
It's a good thing Mom and Dad are away.  
"'If I could tell her, " sings the cat, louder and louder as they nearly trip over each other's feet, "tell her everything I see. If I could tell her, how she's everything to me. But we're a million worlds apart, and I don't know how I would even start... If I could tell her.'"  
It is then that Chats slows to a halt, and drops Marinette's hands. More to himself than to Marinette, he whispers, "If I could tell her..."  
No longer giggly and flushed crimson, Marinette, concerned for her friend, leads him over to sit on her chaise lounge.  
She stares at Chat, curiously, but his eyes are fixed on his fidgeting hands.  
"But what do you do when there's this great divide?" Chat carries on quietly, tracing over the paw print on his ring. "And what do you do when the distance is too wide?"  
"Chat?"  
Hesitantly, the superhero begins to gently pull the ring off of his leather-covered finger.  
Although she knows she has to, Marinette can't bring herself to stop him. She merely holds her breath.   
"And how do you say," a bright flash of green blinds Marinette for a second. She covers her eyes with her arms, partly because of the light, but also to prevent herself from seeing Chat's identity.  
We can't know.  
She feels Chat stand up and hears him kneel in front of her. Gently, a pair of soft, warm hands reach for Marinette's. She shudders but doesn't move.  
"I love you."  
The whisper sends chills down Marinette's spine.  
Reverting back to a songful sigh, the boy continues. Genuinely, earnestly, softly.  
"I love you." He breathes in deeply. "But we're a million worlds apart, and I don't know how I would even start." His voice carries out until it is nothing but a solemn murmur. "If I could tell her... If I could..."  
Chat's head falls into Marinette's lap, his hands still holding on.  
They remain like that for a minute or so. Silence.  
Marinette lowers her arms and, reluctantly, opens her eyes.  
Chat's same golden hair is all she sees at first. Only until he looks up, though, when that same emerald green meets light bluebell, does she see who has been hiding beneath the mask all this time.  
Speechless.  
"Adrien?"  
"Heh," he laughs shortly, "Hello, Princess."  
Overwhelmed, Marinette cannot hold back the tears filling her eyes. She lets them race down her freckled cheeks, unable to do anything but cry.  
"I'm sorry it took me so long, Marinette," Adrien begins, "I really am.  
I know you used to like me when we first met... I feel so stupid for not realising. I was transfixed by Ladybug, blinded by her brilliance. It was only recently that... that I noticed my feelings changing."  
Adrien cups Marinette's hands in his own, gliding his thumb across them lightly.  
"I had grown to accept Ladybug's refusal. I still teased her about it, though; that's what I was used to, after all. But... since I started to visit you on your balcony... I guess I started to fall for you, instead."  
Marinette's breathing hitches.  
"You've always been so kind, Marinette. So caring, so friendly. You're always there to help others–and you were always there to help me, whether that be as Adrien or Chat Noir.  
You have no idea how much your presence has enabled me to carry on with my depressing personal life. Ever since Mom..." Adrien's eyes fall to the floor. "Ever since Mom disappeared, it was as if the light I clung so hard to had disappeared with her. I was left alone with a secluded, distant father, never able to find joy anymore.  
However, since meeting you, that's all changed. You became my guiding light, my North Star... my hope that I could still go on. And I thank you for that. I'm so unbelievably happy to have met you, Marinette; to have given you my umbrella on that fateful rainy day; to have sat in front of you in class; to have joined you and your loving family on those crazy and wonderful adventures.  
I'm ever so grateful to you and... I love you."  
Adrien looks Marinette in the eyes.  
"I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."  
Shaking all over, Marinette slides down to kneel in front of him.  
"Adrien?" she whispers.  
"Yes?"  
Pure, uncontrollable bliss shoots through Marinette's body as she jumps towards Adrien. They fall back, Marinette's head nuzzled into the boy's neck, who wraps his arms around her tightly.  
Marinette suddenly makes a rash decision. Never did she believe she'd ever do this, but, given the circumstances, Marinette feels she must.  
"Tiki," she calls, "spots on."  
The pair are engulfed by a bright flash of pink.  
Now it's Adrien's turn to freeze.  
They both sit up and stare at the other.  
"M-Marinette?" Adrien stammers.  
"Yes?"  
"You're... Ladybug?"  
"Oui, Chaton."  
"You've been My Lady, this whole time?"  
It surprises Marinette to hear that name come out of Adrien's mouth.  
She nods, biting her lip.  
Should I have done that?  
Adrien bursts into laughter and tears. He lunges towards Marinette, just as she did to him, and they cling to each other.  
Overcome with glee, Adrien reaches for Marinette's face, cupping her head in his hands.  
"Can I kiss you?"  
Marinette doesn't need words to answer that question.  
She leans in, curling her arms around Adrien's back, and their lips touch.  
Fireworks ignite.  
A lifetime of birthdays and Christmas' have come at once.  
After a few seconds, Marinette pulls away sharply, realisation dawning on her, "What about London?"  
"We can worry about that later," replies Adrien, his eyes fluttering open, "For now, I just want to think only of you."  
Blushing yet again, Marinette detransforms.  
"Likewise."  
They kiss again, passionately. Marinette's hands reach for Adrien's hair; Adrien holds the curve of Marinette's hips. They melt into each other, lovingly.  
"Oh, Adrien?" asks Marinette, her lips still touching the boy's.  
"Mhm."  
"I love you, too."  
She can feel Adrien's smile.

Never have the two been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! I hope you enjoyed my first little Marichat one shot just as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> I was inspired after watching this adorable animatic by Cole Spoons. I highly recommend you check it out and show them some love!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXmgwgAH4_E&t=0s&index=3&list=LL6snq9Q8s0r1TtaIvgwKMqw
> 
> (It also inspired me to check out the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack, which is great, by the way. XD)
> 
> Have a wonderful rest of your day, everyone <3


End file.
